The Best Songs of Tamil Lyricist Vaali

The Best Songs of Tamil Lyricist Vaali

Legendary Tamil lyricist Vaali -- popularly known as Vaaliba Kavignar (young lyricist) -- became popular in Tamil cinema due to the patronage he enjoyed from the great MG Ramachandran. He is the only lyricist to have survived five generations in Tamil film music.

It is a very difficult task to pull out 15 best songs of a man who has written over 13,000 songs and holds a record in this country of having written the maximum number of film songs from 1963 to 2013.

We make an attempt here. Feel free to list YOUR favourite songs in the message board below.

Ellapugazhum, Azhagiya Tamizh Magan (2007)

Tamil star Vijay's first release with Rahman's music, and his introduction song in the film was a smash mass hit. Vaali did just that with his lyrics. He brings out Rahman's signature thanksgiving line Ellapugazhum Oruvanukke.

The lines Endha Vervaikkum vettrigal ver vaikkume induced goose bumps to the listener, as Rahman himself rendered them. Vijay sure must have been a happy man as it was an MGR-esque song.

Secret of Success, Boys (2003)

No one thought a lyricist, who was well into his 70s, would be able to come up with lines like Maathi Yosi and ketukko lucku kaal kilo, loss kaal kilo, labour kaal kilo, sethuko bhakthi kaal kilo, hopeu kaal kilo, talent kaal kilo, ellam thaan sethu kattina periya pottalamSecret of Success.

Kanmani Anbodu, Guna (1991)

A lovely romantic track from Kamal Haasan's Guna, a movie that embellished Saivite tantric philosophy, Shakti cult and autism, this song remains eternal to this day simply because of the way Vaali and Haasan started the song with a love letter.

April Mayile Passumai Ayela Kanjipochida, Idhayam (1991)

In Kathir's debut film, Idhayam, Vaali proved that not only is he capable of writing romantic duets in literary Tamil or goose bump inducing heroism songs, but also shockingly blend colloquial Tamil and English words to write this song (which became his signature style with several other Shankar-Rahman songs later in the '90s), that went on to become an anthem of the youth in the early '90s. Prabhudeva, who made his first screen debut here and Ilayaraja's voice were just as add-on.

Aagaaya Vennilave, Arangetra Velai (1990)

In the 1980s, Malayalam filmmaker Fazil often teamed up with Vaali and maestro Ilayaraja for his Tamil outings and the result every time would be a stunning melody from the maestro and lovely poetic Tamil that complemented his music beautifully.

Naan Aanai Ittal, Enga veettu Pillai (1965)

Another MGR hit, a rage in those days. The lyrics, apart from being situational and adding value to the screenplay and character in the film, also hinted at actor MGR's political aspirations that was witnessed in the years that followed.